OBSERVATIONS UPON COTTON. 



399 



not require some manipulative dexterity; but it is quite 

 practicable,, and without any lens, and, simply by arranging 

 the light properly, it is possible to measure cotton hairs 

 accurately and quickly. 



In the measurements given in the following tables, I 

 have never pretended to measure closer than ^i:h. of an 

 inch (my scale only indicates tenths) ; and when the ex- 

 tremity of the hair lay between one division and the other, 

 I judged by the eye whether it was less or more than one- 

 fourth or three-fourths of a division, and read it out ac- 

 cordingly. Upon the diagram, I have laid down upon an 

 enlarged scale of ten to one the results of the measure- 

 ments, showing the mean lengths of all the hairs, and the 

 lengths of the longest and shortest of the hairs measured. 



Length of 20 fibres of Sea Island cotton grown at Edisto. 

 Sample furnished by Cotton Supply Association, De- 

 cember 13, i860; price then 2s. 2d. per lb. 



No. 



in. 



No. 



in. 



No. 



in. 



No. 



in. 



5 • 



. 2"0 



4 •• 



• 175 



n • 



. 170 



17 • 



• i'55 



9 • 



• ''95 



8 .. 



• 175 



15 • 



. 170 



12 . 



• i'55 



I .. 



. r8o 



10 .. 



• 175 



16 .. 



• 170 



II .. 



• i'45 



2 .. 



. i-8o 



3 •• 



. 170 



7 • 



. i'6o 



18 . 



• x'45 



20 . 



. I -80 



6 .. 



. 170 



14 . 



• 1-55 



19 . 



• i'35 



Mean length = 1-68 inch. 



Longest fibre = 0*32 inch longer than mean. 



Shortest fibre =o' 3 3 inch shorter than mean. 



This cotton possesses the greatest mean length of all 

 the samples measured; the shortest and longest hairs are 

 nearly equally distant from the mean, and 25 per cent, of 

 the hairs have nearly the mean length. In the case of 

 one other sample only is the length of the longest hair 

 exceeded, while its shortest is considerably above that of 

 any other sample. A very fine and exceptional cotton. 



